But as the local newspaper Thurgauer Zeitung reported recently, a local business is disturbing the peace of a handful of residents in this scenic lakeside community of 14, people. But municipal officials responded that the brothel will be allowed to operate because of the valuable service it provides. This response has sparked swift reactions in the local media.
Then nobody will complain. Prostitution is legal in this country of 8. The sex industry here is heavily regulated to prevent pimping, human trafficking and ties with criminal networks. Prostitutes must register with their city authorities, get regular health checks, pay income tax, make Social Security contributions, and generally comply with the, um, penal code. Mostly foreign women ply their trade in hundreds of brothels across Switzerland.
They come here from countries where prostitution is illegal — mostly from South America, Eastern Europe, and EU nations. And a few years ago, dozens of brothels in the city of Lugano made news when they started training prostitutes to use defibrillators after several clients suffered heart attacks. The navigation could not be loaded.
